Man Overboard
by Anne Hedonia
Summary: Sequel to "Man Alive"


TITLE: Man Overboard (1/1)  
AUTHOR: Anne Hedonia  
RATING: PG  
CATEGORY: SA, DSR   
KEYWORDS: Doggett/Scully, Doggett POV  
ARCHIVE: I'll send to Gossamer. Anywhere else, sure!   
Please lemme know!  
SPOILERS: Generally up through Season 8, and it won't   
make a lot of sense if you haven't seen "Alone".  
  
SUMMARY/AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is a very quickly-  
conceived-and-written, un-betaed sequel to my fic,   
"Man Alive". It's my preferred 'Dipper ending for the   
first scene in "Alone". Or to be more specific,   
instead of having Agent Harrison walk in after Scully   
left, I would have rather this happened. Much rather.  
  
The occurrences in this fic pretty much wouldn't   
happen without the occurrences in "Man Alive". Prolly   
oughta read it first.   
  
'Dippers: This is for you. Very very for you.  
'Shippers and Mulderites: Dear GOD, for the love of   
all that's holy, DON'T GO IN HERE!!  
  
Feed me, feed me! And do it at ahedonia@yahoo.com.  
  
---------------------  
  
I can still see her sad blue eyes gazing at me, above   
her faint smile.  
  
I hear my question of a moment ago, repeating in my   
head: "This is just a leave, isn't it? I mean, you   
are coming back?"  
  
They say silence is golden, but her silence at that   
moment felt pretty much like lead to me. Or maybe that   
was just the feel of my heart hitting the floor, after   
her kind words and her embrace sent it on a dizzy   
flight barely a few moments earlier.  
  
I drift around the office, feeling her sudden absence   
keenly as my heart pounds, and try to find a bright   
side to hang onto. Okay, she's making no promises   
about what will happen after her baby's born. That   
makes sense. Things change, especially because of   
babies, I understand that. But there's no reason to   
assume she won't be in touch, that she'll be gone from   
my life just because she doesn't come into the same   
office every morning. I know we haven't talked   
about...well, *us*, any further since that   
conversation in the parking lot, but that's not to say   
it didn't matter. I've felt it hanging there  
between us ever since, lurking in her smiles and in   
her shy, polite manner around me. If she'd changed her   
mind, found her feelings weren't the same,  
she'd...she'd tell me...wouldn't she?  
  
It occurs to me in a flash that she might very well   
not. She's an escape artist, big time. I wince as the   
idea sucker-punches me. A cop's instinct for  
human nature is not always a blessing.  
  
I hear footsteps. Made by a woman's shoes. Clicking   
down the hall, this way.  
  
My heart leaps into my throat again, in a somewhat   
pathetic reaction: more time with her. My brain says   
that I have no guarantee her return will be  
beneficial to me, or even pleasant, but my emotions   
don't care. All that matters is that our estrangement   
is put off, however briefly. I move toward the door, a   
much bigger grin on my face than is seemly.  
  
"You're not gone five minutes, Agent Scully, and   
already I feel like a stranger in my own off-"  
  
I see her, and her demeanor surprises me into silence.   
She's walking with her head slightly down, and utterly   
focused, single-minded. Scully moves through the   
doorway with a determination that makes Sherman's run   
through Atlanta look like a sightseeing tour. She   
turns and closes the door pointedly.  
  
I have no idea what's going on. Like that's news.   
"Agent Scu-" I begin.  
  
I never finish.  
  
When she turns from the door, her eyes lock onto mine   
with all the worry and fear I've ever seen, as though   
she's a drowning woman and I hold the only life   
preserver in existence. She grabs my face in both her   
soft little hands and pulls it down to hers, her lips   
landing solidly on mine.  
  
Oh, Jesus God.  
  
The softness, the astonishing softness of her perfect   
mouth is my only focal point as my whole world spins.   
My hands reach into her hair before I can stop them,   
but she doesn't object. A moment ago I was losing her.   
Then she came back, and I braced myself for everything   
I could think of but this. Strange how when you try to   
anticipate what a person might do, enacting one of   
your sweetest fantasies doesn't often make your list   
of possibilities.  
  
She pulls away before I am ready, but that's not a   
surprise - I'm not sure if there is an end to how long   
I want to kiss her. She rests her forehead against   
mine, gasping softly.  
  
"You. Be. Careful. Do you hear me?" she whispers,   
fighting to keep tears out of her voice. "You lean on   
Skinner all you need to, and don't you dare take any   
chances you don't absolutely have to take."  
  
I have no words for her, no response. I'm just in awe   
at what she's giving me.  
  
She looks up into my face, and I can see a struggle   
there of epic proportions. She looks away and presses   
her lips together. "I don't know if I can do this,"   
she says finally.  
  
I remember I can talk. "Do what?"  
  
"Leave," she says in anguish. "I mean, never *mind*   
that I don't know how to *not* work. In the last seven   
years, I've completely forgotten how to have a  
life..." she smiles ruefully at herself. "But now I'm   
stranding you all by yourself on this, with only six   
months actual experience. How can I do that to  
*anyone*, much less..." Her eyes roam my face with an   
affection that makes me ache. "...you."  
  
I'm overwhelmed. Adrenaline runs through me like I'm   
about to give a speech in my underwear. I want very   
much to kiss her again. I don't. I let her be in   
charge.  
  
"Dana." I can hardly believe I'm about to urge her to   
go. "You can't keep workin' with your due date so   
near. It's not an option. Even if your doctor  
*would* let you, I can think of three computer geeks   
and one assistant director who'd tan your hide for   
even considerin' it." I brush her cheek with  
my fingers, and watch her relax. My whole body   
tingles. "And don't even get me started about how I'd   
feel about it."  
  
She looks at me, eyebrow arched. "*Not* that I   
wouldn't love your company," I grin. But that's not   
her problem. She runs her palms down my lapels. I   
shiver quietly.  
  
"I just couldn't stand it if anything happened to you   
because I left you alone." Her eyes are filling up. I   
make it my late New Year's Resolution to cause fewer   
tears in her life, from now on. "I've been in your   
position. I've been *you*. I don't know how I would   
have coped back then without..." She doesn't say his   
name. She finishes creatively. "...without all the   
guidance I had. How on Earth can we all expect you to   
deal with this without the help of someone who's been   
there?"  
  
We're silent for a moment, till I know what to say.   
"Tell you what," I offer. "We'll just consider me your   
eyes and ears, like back in Boston. The *second* I   
find myself in over my head - heck, even up to my   
lower lip - my job is to call you and get my marching   
orders. Whatever you say, goes."  
  
She's smiling faintly. I challenge myself to raise   
that smile to a full-fledged beam. "You'll still have   
my back," I promise. "And believe me, whatever you   
need, I'll have yours. Heartburn medicine, foot rubs,   
midnight runs for sardines and ice cream..."  
  
There it is. Her face breaks out into a grin that   
melts me. She looks up, chuckling wryly. "You watch   
too much 'I Love Lucy'..."  
  
My own smile takes up half my face. "Nick at Night   
helps me sleep."  
  
She sighs. I can tell she's getting ready to go. I   
can't help wishing that she wasn't. I push it to the   
back of my mind. "You go worry about yourself for a  
change," I say.  
  
She nods obediently. Then she lingers just a moment   
more. Before I have time to second guess myself, I   
take the opportunity I'm given. I lean and kiss her   
again, softly. I pull away reluctantly and our faces   
linger close together, eyes half-closed.  
  
She inhales deeply, as if gathering courage. "If I   
catch you doing anything stupid, I'll kick your ass."  
  
My heart grows three sizes in my chest. I adore this   
woman. "Yes, ma'am."  
  
She collects herself, then turns and walks out the   
door. I watch her stride down the hall. She turns back   
once to look at me. I try and reassure her with  
my eyes. She warns me with hers. A few steps later she   
disappears around the corner.  
  
I look around me, feeling my feet more firmly on the   
ground. The office is still too big without her, but I   
can feel her presence more strongly now. She left it   
here with me. To guard me. I grin. To potentially kick   
my ass.  
  
I feel invincible.  
  
It's all I need.  
-----------------------  
  
  



End file.
